IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) has been selected as an eligible contractor for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract. The SHIELD framework has a total ceiling of $151 billion and is designed to provide the warfighter with rapid, innovative capabilities through a streamlined procurement process. IonQ is one of more than 2,400 companies qualified to compete for future task orders under this multi-year vehicle.
The selection leverages IonQ’s expanded portfolio, which now integrates core trapped-ion quantum computing with specialized capabilities from its subsidiary companies. These subsidiaries include Capella Space, providing all-weather synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery; Skyloom, specializing in high-capacity optical space-to-ground communications; and Vector Atomic, which develops quantum-based precision timing and navigation solutions for GPS-denied environments. By uniting quantum computing, networking, sensing, and security, IonQ aims to support the MDA’s mission-critical requirements for layered defense and real-time data processing.
This award builds on IonQ’s established history of supporting U.S. government research and development, including previous collaborations with DARPA and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). In 2025, the company reported a world-record 99.99% two-qubit gate fidelity, a technical benchmark critical for the high-precision applications required in aerospace and national security. The forthcoming IonQ Tempo system is expected to further enhance these capabilities, providing the computational power necessary for complex logistics, cybersecurity, and missile defense simulations.
For further details on the contract award and technical specifications, consult the official IonQ investor announcement here.
February 23, 2026
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